Avoiding holiday shopping stress

The holiday season is quickly approaching. People all over the world will celebrate with family gatherings and dinners, gift giving and decorations. But along with these celebrations comes stress, particularly during the shopping season.

Kelly Bragg normally shops for around 20 people and said she doesn't start her holiday shopping until sometime after mid-November. Having too many people to buy for and starting late are typical problems many people face during this time of year. She added that it's easy to start late because "Christmas sneaks up on you."

"I enjoy the holiday season except that it's always so rushed," she continued, adding that she believes that if she started shopping in July, she would enjoy the season more.

Though she does experience some stress, Bragg shared a few techniques that help her keep a bit more relaxed during the season.

"Try to break up your shopping into workable chunks so you only do a little bit of shopping at a time." Bragg makes lists for the people she is buying gifts for to keep her on track and focused during her shopping trips. Bragg's key tip is to stay organized and have a plan!

The holiday season can be an extremely emotional time for everyone. When you do feel the stress, it's helpful to remember that the holidays are about spending time with family and friends, not about gift giving. If that doesn't calm your nerves a bit, "a nice latté might do the job," Bragg added.

Carolan Prior, a student at Fanshawe, said she believes that the holidays have become too commercial. She has over 10 people to shop for, and as a college student, that can mean tight budgeting. "The holidays are about being with your family, but there's also the stress of trying to get everyone the perfect gift and not spend too much money." Prior said that lack of budgeting and the commercial appeal of the holidays are some of the causes of her shopping stress.

Prior said she wants to make budgets but has little time to do so, because she doesn't start shopping for gifts until well into December. She added she often ends up spending more than she can afford to because she is unorganized.

This year, Prior is keeping organized, making a budget, and starting her shopping early. She also added, "Spend time with friends and family and try to buy gifts with sentimental value rather than dollar value to avoid stress."

The main causes of holiday shopping stress are budgeting, procrastination and lack of organization. Tackle these problems by making sure to start your shopping weeks in advance (next year, try starting even earlier, like months in advance), make budgets and lists, and talk to your friends and family if you're having trouble overcoming the stress of the season.

Remember that the holiday season is about happiness and spending time with friends and family. The less time you spend stressing over fi nding the perfect gifts, the more time you'll be able to enjoy with your family.